Grape plant named &#39;KERSUS&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new grape variety distinguished by its high vigour, circular shaped leaves, medium weight fruit clusters, early-medium harvesting time (end of August in northeastern Italy), green dorsal and ventral internodes, and resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority from EU Community Plant Variety Rights (CPVR) Application No. 20183519, filed Dec. 20, 2018.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Vitis vinifera L.

Variety denomination: ‘KERSUS’.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to a new and distinct variety of grape named ‘KERSUS’. Our new plant resulted from a controlled cross and is a selection from crossing SK-00-1/7 (unpatented) as the seed parent with Pinot Blanc (unpatented) as the pollen parent in 2005. The resulting plant was selected in 2013 when growing in a cultivated area in Udine, Italy.

SUMMARY

The ‘KERSUS’ variety is distinguished from other grape varieties due to the following unique combination of characteristics: high vigour, circular shaped leaves, medium weight fruit clusters, early-medium harvesting time (end of August in northeastern Italy), green dorsal and ventral internodes, and resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew.

Character- Male Parent istic ‘Kersus’ Pinot blanc vigour High Medium growth habit Semi-erect Semi-erect leaf Medium, dark green color Medium, dark green color (upper surface) N134A, very (upper surface) N134A, very few hairs in both surfaces, few hairs in both surfaces, circular shape, small teeth pentagonal shape, small teeth cluster medium weight, cylindrical low weight, with one or two with one or two middle size wings, compact, broad wings, compact, globose ellipsoid berry, berry skin berry, berry skin with yellow- with yellow-green green color 150C, soft flesh, color 154C, neutral taste, no flesh soft flesh, neutral taste, no coloration flesh coloration harvesting Early-medium [End of August Medium [early September time (Middle Friuli, northeastern (Middle Friuli, northeastern Italy)] Italy)] resistances Resistant to downy mildew, No resistance to downy resistant to powdery mildew, mildew, no resistance to powdery mildew internode Dorsal: green Dorsal: green and red color Ventral: green 140B Ventral: green 140B and red 53A

Asexual reproduction of this new variety by vegetative cuttings shows that the foregoing characteristics come true to form, are firmly fixed, and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

Certain characteristics of this variety may change with changing environmental conditions (such as photoperiod, temperature, moisture, soil conditions, nutrient availability, or other factors). Color descriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with their ordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Color designations (hue/value/chroma) are made with reference to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, London, England, 2007.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a shoot a leaf of the new variety.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing a leaf of the new variety.

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing fruit of the new variety.

FIG. 4 is a photograph showing a plant of the new variety.

The color photographs show typical specimens of the new variety and depict the color as nearly true as is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character. It should be noted that colors may vary, for example due to lighting conditions at the time the photograph is taken. Therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from the photograph alone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Botanical

The following detailed description of the ‘KERSUS’ variety is based on observations of asexually reproduced progeny. The observed progeny are plants which were 3-5 years of age. The following detailed description concerns the plants growing in an open field taken in Rauscedo, Italy in 2016-2018. The original plant and progeny have been observed growing in a cultivated area in Rauscedo, Italy, with medium texture soil that is rich in skeleton and alluvial in nature. Temperatures in Rauscedo, Italy range from a high of 29° C. to a low of −2° C. Average rainfall is 822 mm per year, with an average rainfall during the growing season (April-September) of 453 mm.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in August-September 2018 under natural light conditions in Rauscedo, Italy.

-   Scientific name: Vitis vinifera L. -   Parentage:     -   -   Seed parent.—Sk-00-1/7.         -   Pollen parent.—Pinot Blanc. -   Plant:     -   -   Vigor.—High.         -   Growth habit.—Semi-erect. -   Shoot:     -   -   Opening of the shoot tip.—Fully open for young shoot.         -   Distribution of the anthocyanin coloration of the prostrate             hairs of the shoot tip.—Absent.         -   Density of prostate hair on the shoot tip.—Medium-to-high.         -   Attitude (before tying).—Semi-erect.         -   Color of the dorsal side of internodes.—Green 140B.         -   Color of the ventral side of internodes.—Green 140B.         -   Distribution of anthocyanin coloration on the bud             scales.—Absent.         -   Number of consecutive tendrils.—2 or less. -   Leaves:     -   -   Shape.—Circular.         -   Teeth.—Small, both sides convex.         -   Blistering.—Medium-to-strong blistering of upper side of             mature blade.         -   Size.—Medium.         -   Young leaf.—Color of upper surface is green 134B, with             sparse prostrate hairs between main veins on the lower side             of blade.         -   Mature leaf.—Color of upper surface is dark green N134A with             sparse prostrate hairs between main veins on the lower side             of blade.         -   Mature leaf.—Three lobes.         -   Area of anthocyanin coloration of main veins on upper side             and lower of mature blade.—Absent.         -   Area of anthocyanin coloration of main veins on lower of             mature blade.—Absent.         -   Goffering of mature blade.—Absent or very weak.         -   Profile of mature leaf in cross section.—V-shaped.         -   Degree of mature leaf opening.—Closed.         -   Shape of base of petiole sinus.—Brace-shaped-to-V-shaped.         -   Petiole sinus base limited by vein.—Not limited.         -   Density of prostrate hairs on petiole.—None or very low.         -   Density of erect hairs on petiole.—None or very low.         -   Depth of upper lateral sinuses.—Absent or very shallow. -   Flowers: Fully developed stamens and fully developed gynoecium.     -   -   Insertion of 1st inflorescence.—3rd and 4th node.         -   Number of inflorescences per shoot.—1 to 2. -   Fruit:     -   -   Cluster.—Medium weight, cylindrical with one or two middle             size wings, compact.         -   Time of beginning of berry ripening.—Early.         -   Berry shape.—Globose.         -   Berry length.—Short.         -   Berry width.—Narrow.         -   Berry bloom.—Medium.         -   Thickness of berry skin.—Medium-to-thick.         -   Color of skin (without bloom).—Yellow green 150C.         -   Texture.—Soft flesh.         -   Anthocyanin coloration of flesh.—Absent or very weak.         -   Flavor.—None/neutral.         -   Formation of seeds.—Complete.         -   Harvest time.—Early-medium (end of August in northeastern             Italy).         -   Bunch length (peduncle excluded).—Medium.         -   Bunch width.—Narrow.         -   Bunch density.—Dense.         -   Length of peduncle of primary bunch.—Very short-to-short.         -   Lignification of peduncle.—Up to about the middle.         -   Berry hilium.—Visible. -   Must characteristics:     -   -   Sugars (Brix).—21.1.         -   pH.—3.4.         -   Total acidity.—6.2 g/l.         -   Tartaric acid.—6.57 g/l.         -   Malic acid.—1.89 g/l. -   Production characteristics:     -   -   Clusters per shoot.—1.42.         -   Grape production.—3467 g/plant.         -   No. of bunches/vine (at harvest).—15.2.         -   Average weight of the bunch.—262.7 g.         -   Average berry weight.—1.57 g.         -   Pruning wood weight.—690 g/plant.         -   Index of ravaz.—5.02. -   Wine produced from grapes:     -   -   Total acidity.—5.3 g/l.         -   Tartaric acid.—2.5 g/l.         -   pH.—3.37.         -   Net extract.—20.0 g/l.         -   Alcohol.—12.8 g/l.         -   Volatile acidity.—0.2 g/l.         -   Reducing sugars.—1.1 g/l. -   Molecular analysis:

VVS2 VVMD5 VVMD7 VVMD25 VVMD27 N + 10 N + 14 N + 10 N + 16 N + 12 N + 26 N + 6 N + 14 N + 10 N + 14 VVMD28 VVMD32 VRZAG 62 VRZAG 79 N + 20 N + 28 N + 5 N + 5 N + 14 N + 20 N + 2 N + 24 Use international coding based on “N” (see European project GENRES 081—A basis for the preservation and utilization of Vitis genetic resources)

-   Phenological characteristics (in Rauscedo, Italy):     -   -   Germination.—April 4.         -   Flowering.—June 2.         -   Veraison (change of color).—August 7.         -   Maturation.—September 9. -   Use: Wine grape. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to downy mildew and powdery     mildew. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Vitis vinifera L. plant substantially as illustrated and described herein. 